Sixteen of the grave markers were knocked over and suffered considerable damage, and one head stone was cracked into several pieces.

“We may not be able to repair that one,” said Batavia Township trustee Rex Parsons.

A resident of Stonelick Township stopped by the cemetery and noticed the damage at 1:30 p.m. March 14.

The new fence surrounding the cemetery was also damaged.

Some of the damaged grave markers at Olive Branch Cemetery.

The resident contacted the police and the Clermont County Sheriff's Office immediately responded to the cemetery, which is located at the corner of Stonelick and Olive Branch Roads.

Deputies did recover some evidence at the scene, Parsons said, and leads are currently under investigation.

"This is just very sad and unfortunate," Parsons said. "I would like to say to whoever did this - at some point in time they are going to be dead as well and will more than likely have a stone marking their grave. It is beyond me how someone - anyone - could go into a graveyard and desecrate it. I just cannot fathom how someone could do something like this."

Anyone with information on who vandalized the Olive Branch Cemetery in the early morning hours of March 14 is asked to call the Clermont County Sheriff's Office at (513) 732-7405.